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My dad was giving me crap the other day for using them. He thinks its cheating along with me flying the unit and scouting so much. My rebuttal was I needed every advantage I can get to kill that buck of a lifetime. Luck needs to play less of a part in the equation because I'm not that lucky of a guy.

I think it is an old school mentality along with some guys take hunting more seriously than others.

I'm on the fence with trail cameras. One side, I prefer to get out on the ground and see what animals are where for myself. On the other side, it is nice to have a camera capturing potential game throughout a couple weeks. With cameras, you can determine what time game is travelling whether to/from water or along a main trail. They help to pattern the animal. You can also determine the quality of animals for a give area. I don't personally own any cameras, but my two main hunting partners do and use them extensively to gauge how an area's potential is.

I have considered getting a camera, but so far, have relied on boot leather and lady luck instead. Always seem to find something else I don't need to buy instead.

Like everything else, it's personal opinion. I personally don't like the "idea" of them but have been tempted to get one to try and get an "advantage". I don't care for other technology either like videoing and digiscoping or whatever's it's called. I don't like over scouting either, as in an outfitter with a dozen guy's in the field camping on animals until there client shows up. Heck even the technology in the bow hunting culture with all the new equipment and commercialization turns me off. I like more adventure and the element of surprise. But, that's just me... if you like it use it, if not, then don't. There's definitely nothing "wrong" with it.

Growing up, I saw game cams as something that was only useful for hunters out east hunting from tree stands. It makes sense, if I were stuck in one spot to hunt, other than driving me batshit crazy, I would want to at least know that animals were going to be walking by. That being said, I have had hunting buddies start using them in recent years and they paid off. You can only scout so much and having cams at different locations is a real advantage in deciding where to hunt. As for IKIC's comment about an outfitter getting crap about it, I can't understand why, it's his job to put in the ground work and know where the animals are. Giving his clients the best opportunity to shoot a trophy animal is what they pay him for. Not taking every advantage he can to succeed at his job doesn't make sense, there is only so much ground an outfitter and his team can cover.

I like them when they are on hidden seeps/springs not a fan when you bump into a guzzler and can find one on every trail coming into the guzzler and 3 of them sitting side by side at the nearest tree to the guzzler.

I am fine with them. Don't have a problem using them. It gives you a idea of the game in the area. The thing is you still have to get into that section and then find them. That's only part 1. Then you have to get without range of them. That's part 2. Then you have to seal the deal.

I've never been in faver of them, but I am borrowing one now for my upcomming antelope hunt. I feel like I'm cheating by using it, but its leagal. I've waited 15 years for this hunt and I am taking every advantage I can for success. I'm not sure I will go buy some for future hunts, I will have to decide if I want to change my ways I guess. I do know of a water hole that is always tore up during archery elk season that would be an awesome spot to have one at. I've never seen anyone elses there, maybe I will have to buy one next year??

I think it is funny that an outfitter is having a problem with a game camera. A lot of people would never think using an outfitter is okay. I just got into the trail cam this year. I went up a couple weeks ago to set it in the area I hunt. I decided to set up a camera after talking to various people that use them. As I became interested in using a camera I asked all the people I run into at work a set of four or five questions about the cameras. After our conversations I'm not convinced that the cameras are used as much to find specific animals or even to find better animals. One of the questions I ask is if it improves their success, and the response I receive is that it hasn't. The salt licks and the jam stuff that they put out has helped out more than the camera and I think that is an entirely different conversation (baiting animals into a location.) I have found it has become as much of a hobby for them as hunting and they just enjoy the process and the pictures. my wife could not make it up to the area I hunt and she is excited to be able to see the pictures and get a taste of the animals I see when I'm out. I'm pretty excited to go and check the camera this week and bring home some pictures to share. When I went up to scout and set the camera I scared two bulls right out of their bed in the area I hunt, I have always found animals and have a shot to get one so the camera will not aid in the harvest however I hope to be able and bring some good pictures home of the animals. I have also heard of people that are able to harvest an animal they have a picture of and blowing up the picture and displaying it next to the antlers, I think that would be cool.